We added some pickly, seedy things to our rice after taking a cue from author and chef David Tanis.
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Ingredients
2 Servings
2
Bone-in, skin on chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds total).
5
Scallions
3
Smashed garlic cloves
1/2
Red chile (such a Fresno), with seeds removed and coarsely chopped
1
Use a tablespoon of tamari sauce or soy sauce
Kosher salt
1
Cup sushi or any other short-grain Rice
1
Half a medium Persian cucumber lengthwise and thinly slice it crosswise
1/4
Cup of finely chopped pickled ginger plus 1 tablespoon pickling liquid
1
To serve, add another tablespoon of toasted black sesame seeds
Preparation
Step 1
Cover the chicken in a medium-sized pot with 5 cups of water. Add scallions, garlic, chile and tamari to the pot. Reserve dark green parts. Salt (chicken must be barely submerged; if it is not, you can add water to cover completely). Heat pot on medium-high. Once liquid starts to boil, reduce heat immediately to medium-low. Gently simmer for 16-20 minutes until chicken is fully cooked (an instant-read temperature thermometer placed in the middle of a piece will register 155deg. The temperature will continue rising once removed from heat). Remove chicken from heat and place on a plate. Let cool slightly. Remove and discard the solids in the broth using a slotted or spider spoon. Warm broth over low heat.
Step 2
While you are doing this, rinse the rice in a fine mesh sieve. Stir with your fingertips until the liquid is mostly clear. Shake off the excess water, then transfer it to a medium-sized saucepan. Add a pinch of sea salt. Bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and simmer for 18-22 minutes, or until the rice is tender. Cover and let it sit for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
Step 3
Set aside 1 Tbsp. Sprinkle the remaining scallions, rice, cucumber, ginger and pickling juice with 1 Tbsp. Toss the remaining scallions with the rice, cucumbers, ginger, pickling liquid, and 1 tbsp. With a wooden or rubber spatula, stir sesame seeds into a large bowl of rice until it looks flecked. Season with salt.
Step 4
Remove chicken meat from bones and thinly slice. Pour some broth on top of the rice and chicken in each bowl. Sprinkle sesame seeds on each bowl and reserve the scallions. Save leftover broth to sip.
